Ten Questions to Ask Before Building a Theater

Ok, so you or your customer is considering building a theater. When I am asked the best way to start planning, I have 10 questions I always ask to start the process. It may appear these questions have nothing to do with room acoustics. The truth of the matter is the space and usage planning related to a theater all have to be considered before the real engineering starts.

QUESTION #1

How large a picture do you think you want?

This is a fairly straight forward question that most of us think about. Even when buying a flat panel screen everything is sorted by screen size so it is a good place to start discussions. The answer to the question can drive many aspects of the design and remember the seating area should be housed in an area subtended between 32 and 36 degrees. Usually customers want more screen size than they need.

QUESTION #2

Do you watch more movies or sports?

Movies or sports? This is a great question that one of my dealers always asks. It can help make a decision on the screen’s aspect ratio; 16X9 is best for sports, 2.35X1 is best for movie buffs. A masking screen will give you both.

QUESTION #3

Do you want to be able to play video games in your theater?

If you are designing for gaming you will need to make sure the active gaming area is not blocking the projector. All gaming platforms use lots of physical involvement so playing games now involves standing in front of the screen. You may want to consider a drop down screen for TV or movies and an LCD or Plasma flat screen for gaming.

QUESTION #4

Will you use your theater to entertain or just use it as a family?

If the theater is a family retreat seating and space planning can be limited to fixed seating. If the theater will be used for super bowl parties it may need bar seating behind the theater chairs. Careful attention should be paid to the room outside the theater for traffic flow.

QUESTION #5

How many seats do you want

Once again this is a straight forward question, and the answer is usually determined by the available space. Once you figure in decorative wall elements, reasonable walkways, and comfortable chairs, you’ll be amazed by how large a room needs to be to accommodate lots of seating. Ceiling height is also a factor because with more than one row the seats must be tiered.

QUESTION #6

Do you want to use theater chairs or more conventional furniture?

Type of seating is very important given question five. Customers don't always like the idea of sitting up to watch movies. We all love to be couch potatoes. There are compromises available like using a lounge in the front row of seating. This of course affects all aspects of layout.

QUESTION #7

Do you want to see your speakers or should they be hidden?

To see or not to see. That is the question. Couples often disagree on this one. Here’s my advice: If you want to see the speakers their look must be harmonized with the theater’s interior design. If you don’t want to see them be sure to use grill cloth that is really acoustically transparent and not a material that works well on absorptive panels but blocks high frequencies from a speaker’s tweeter. Also be very careful with the design of cabinetry. You don’t want to cause reflections of the speaker’s output. A speaker designed to perform well in an open space will not sound as good when hidden as a speaker that was designed to be installed.

QUESTION #8

Do you want to be able to listen to your theater at high volume and not disturb other members of your family in other parts of the house?

This is a very crucial question, and as you might expect, answers the question of whether or not the theater should be designed for noise isolation. If you are doing any level of construction I strongly suggest considering noise isolation. It is hard enough for a busy, successful person to find time to relax and enjoy the home theater. You certainly don’t want to be constrained by folks in other parts of the house.

QUESTION #9

How would you like to control your system?

The theater’s electronics should not be visible, otherwise the LEDs and displays will be distractions in a dark room. So control of the electronics is very important. I suggest a fixed panel near the command seat so that you don’t have to search for a lost remote. Lighting should also be automated with multiple scenes available.

QUESTION #10

What would you like the interior of your theater to look like?

This last question is one that has a direct impact on interior acoustic treatment. The most cost effective and best technical solution is a stretched fabric that allows the flexibility needed to use different types of acoustic tools in different locations. But sometimes stretched fabric doesn’t suit the décor. While the cost of treatment may increase, LyonSound can achieve good performance in practically any décor.